Car spotting is like bird watching, and as most of you other car spotters, shooters and CC Contributors will undoubtedly attest to, bagging a new addition to the collection is by far the biggest thrill of the sport. 2013 was another good year, although perhaps not quite as dramatic as some in the past, as the list of previously unfound cars gets shorter (is that possible?). So here they are, in chronological order.

Early Ford Tempo (1984-1985): Some of my finds, like this Ford Tempo, me seem rather prosaic. But I’m interested in compiling and documenting all the versions of cars since…well, how far back do I want to go? There are a healthy number of Tempos still on the streets here, but the early version, with the original roof, window and grille design, has so far eluded me. Like so many American cars, the Tempo’s durability started out a bit shaky, and improved with time. The later ones are practically certified Cockroaches of the Road™, but this one is a rare survivor. Not yet written up.

Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi Galant gen 2) 1974-1977: The only thing that would have made me happier was to find a gen1 Colt, which I still hold hopes for finding. The whole early RWD Colt family, including the gen3 smaller Lancer-based Colt, have become quite rare on the streets, and this one helps fill in the gaps. Not yet written up.

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst: And why haven’t I written up this beast yet, of which 501 were produced? I started to one day, got distracted, and never got back to it. Kind of like the new house I started last year….ADD is a bitch, as is the 300H.

1969 Dodge Corey Cruiser: Another odd-ball Chrysler product, but rather different that the 300H. I couldn’t identify it precisely, but remembered having seen them back in the day. of course, one of our astute commenters knew what it was. Post here.

1988 Renault Medallion: This is my favorite kind of find, because of the human element. I ran into these two guys working on what has to be one of maybe two or so running Medallions left in the country, if not the only one. Of course, it wasn’t exactly running quite right at the time, but that only adds to the authenticity of this story. CC here

1969-1972 Toyota Hilux Pickup: Not exactly sitting curbside, but I’ve been wanting to snag a gen1 Hilux for a very long time. Since first seeing it on the road, I continue to see it from time to time, as it’s a regular driver. Post here.

1965 Jeep Gladiator J3000: There’s also still a good number of Glads on the streets, but not the earliest version with the classic grille and the 327 AMC V8. Finding this one in such fine original condition was a boon. CC here

1966 Dodge Monaco 500: What really made this one a treat was finding it in front of an acquaintance’s house, having no idea that he’d owned this not only for a long time, but since he was sixteen. CC here

GMC Motorhome: I’ve shot a few of these over the years, but never at the curb. This must be a sign that I can/should/must finally get around to telling its story.

1968 Dodge Charger Six: I’d never quite given up hope to find an unmolested Charger, but when the hood was opened on this one and there was a slant six sitting there, well; that’s about as good as it gets: cargasmic. CC here

1957 Ford Fairlane 500: Another important historical milestone car, the first Ford to beat Chevrolet in sales since it lost its lead back several decades earlier. Of course, the ’57 Chevy was a lot better built, and became an icon. Finding a ’57 Ford in original condition on the street with lots of patina is quite a bit harder. Not yet written up

1989 Ford Taurus SHO: Another car I’d almost given up on, but there it was, sitting in a driveway thanks to taking a walk in a part of town I hadn’t explored for a couple of years. Cars do come and go… Not yet written up

1965 Rambler Marlin: It just goes to show that there is carma: I decided to take a CC Calendar out to the owner of the 1950 Cadillac, since his car is on the cover and all, and on the way back, I spotted this gem of a ’65 Marlin on a side street. Now I’m going to have to substantially update and revise the existing Marlin CC, since it lacks the definitive version.

44 Comments

Big kudos to you Paul, for tracking these CCs, snapping and documenting them.

If I were to cast a reader vote for the most special CC find, I’d say the Slant Six Charger. It is such a unique contradiction. And to have remained original all these years. Amazing!

The Marlin, 300 and Gladiator are especially worthy as well.

Honestly, I don’t know how the Colt, Tempo and Medallion are still of this Earth.
I actually preferred the aero styling of the early Tempos. So, these three deserve honorable mention as true curbside survivors.

That was my personal favorite, and one of the greatest CC finds of all-time! I’m fascinated by every model Tatra that was ever built, but I’ve always had a particular fondness for the T613. It was the first Tatra I had ever seen pictures of/read about when I was a kid and they were still in production at that time. This was right after the Cold War had ended, and I believed that by the time I had a driver’s license, Tatra would be selling cars in the US!

I still think about them every time I buy a lottery ticket, and the green one you found is the coolest and best looking 613 I’ve ever seen. I’m amazed at how good that color looks on it. When I actually do win the lottery (or become foolish enough to drop $20k+ on importing one) I want it to look just like that. Maybe not with the green seats, although those are cool too.

That GMC Motorhome had me wimpering. Between our loves for NASCAR (her), F1 (me), MotoGP (me), any production based form of motorcycle racing (me); Maggie and I have been seriously starting to look for a used RV so we can start spending weekends at the race tracks. The GMC Motorhome is my holy grail in this category.

By the way, was it actually a GMC branded product, or just listed as the GM Motorhome? I’ve seen them listed both ways.

Well, the big red GMC logo on the grille kind of answers the question. It had to be sold through one of the divisions.

“GM Coach” (buses) was once branded as such, even though it was within the GMC division, but starting around the mid sixties, they were fully integrated and the buses started wearing a “GMC Coach” badge.

I’m totally hip to that Tempo. Finding an early one is on my list. I’d call that your greatest find of the year, but obviously this is an entirely subjective choice.

Runners up are the Monaco and the Fairlane. My dad had a ’57 Fairlane before I was born; he said it had the police interceptor engine in it. Dad got stopped for speeding three times in the same day in that car.

Like the Monaco,Marlin and 57 Ford a lot.The 300 Hurst is a rare beast,there was rumoured to be only one in the UK about 10 years ago which went to Australia when the owner emigrated.As a birdwatcher there are similarities between bird and car spotting

I’ve been a Curbside Classic reader for several years, but this year I found my “Holy Grail” and joined CC as an author. Perhaps my approach put the cart before the horse, but I’ve enjoyed writing for CC, and would recommend it to anyone interested in sharing local Curbside Classics.

At this point, I haven’t found a car to top this find, but I’ll keep looking.

Like many top finds, I recalled the Carina from my youth, and knew few folks here in the US remembered it. For newer CC readers, I’ve linked to my post here:

Obviously by my avatar I’m partial to the Charger and the Hurst (in the rough no less!) and if I never saw another Tempo or 80s Renault-based product on the road again Id be OK but they make up our automotive landscape and cars like that keep me coming back to CC every day.

As for my own finds, I have a rather long (80 miles round trip) commute so I see a lot of cars, especially my fair share of Chrysler K-cars, GM A-Bodies and early Chevy S10s, but Im a fan of big 70s cars and among my finds were a 30K miles, one owner 73 LeMans and apparently, Ford offered a Starsky and Hutch-inspired factory paintjob on 75 Torinos, which I didn’t know about until I came across one at a local cruise night.

My Uncle Don had one of those factory S&H Torinos, a 1976. He worked as a mechanic at Bob Neal Ford in Rock Island at the time, and he ordered his with the 460. As soon as it came in, he replaced the factory Magnum 500s with the proper slotted alloys and gave it the proper rake. I believe theirs was built in the Chicago plant.

My Aunt Candy drove that car at 100+ across the I-280 bridge shortly after they got it. She liked that car!

Here’s a picture of a couple I spotted at the Monmouth cruise night back in 2012:

Since moving to Portland, Oregon in August everyday is full of cool cars, but I am beginning to get used to seeing lots of Beetles, numerous MasterAces, a bunch of 1990-1999 Subaru Legacies, and loads of other vehicles which would be rusty and/or non-existent in New York. I do occasionally see a 1st gen Taurus SHO.

I quite like that 1st Gen Tempo since they will always look a bit funny, but in a good way. The bug deflector, weathered license plate, missing hubcap, accordion bumpers, and overall patina just add to its cute weirdness. That Tempo is a rolling middle finger to planned obsolescence. You could do a CC on the Econoline and Caddy as well.

The 57 Fairlane looks a bit odd up front, but I love how the fins start on the rear doors; reminds me of a 59 Impala. Were those 57 Fords about the same size as the 57 Chevies or is the camera playing tricks on me? The Grand Am next to the Ford is not a terribly common vehicle anymore.

They are about the same size. The ford had a better option of engines with the 272(?), 292, and 312. The 312 had more beans than the equivalent chev 283 but quite a bit less than the next year’s 348. That’s seat of the pants power as I have no idea what the ratings actually were. 56 might have been the last year for the 272 Ford. The 312 which frequently had the police interceptor badge was pretty good. Faster than I should have owned. Wound up being driven by my sister.

We had a mercury topaz which was a badge engineered Ford Tempo. Poor gas mileage for a four and not very dependable although it felt very solid. Don’t buy based on feelings because it was a false one.

Great finds Paul those 57 Ford were popular in NZ too and as my Dad said 57 Chevs were hard to sell against them being a 3yr old car. Old Galants and Toyota pickups arent too hard to find here a 74 Mitsubishi GTO appears regularly at the miniature steam railway nearby I’ll shoot it for you. Sure hoping for a writeup on that Chrysler hurst though,

The ’57 Ford was quite nice in many versions except for those awful bug eyed headlights. The only reason it beat Chevy that year was because the Chevy looked so dated compared to the Ford and Plymouth that year. The tri five Chevys certainly won the long term contest!

Great find on these. I laughed when I realized I owned two of the cars pictured, because both were among the worst I ever owned and because of that I didn’t own them very long. One even makes me shudder to think how often that POS left me stranded. I am surprised that even one example is still running today

I once had a 75 Dodge Colt, and I envisioned swapping an L.A. series Mopar engine into it (273, 318). The engine cavity definitely had the room for it…alas, it never came to be! The pipe dreams of youth!! 🙂

OTOH, I still can’t get past the POS Topaz that I had, even though I rid myself of it.

Your one find of the year is that Slant Six Charger. I’m trying to imagine the series of circumstances that led to it’s survival. Certainly, the six cylinder versions had to be relatively rare back in the day. It’s amazing to me that no one either swapped out the Leaning Tower of Power for any V8 or just used the car as a parts car for someone’s project in the last 30 years or so… Wow!

A side note about the 1957 Ford pictured there. I believe that’s a Fairlane, not a Fairlane 500. The Fairlane 500 was the hardtop version. We had pictures of my father’s Fairlane 500, but were lost when my mother’s Alzheimer’s took control. She threw out dozens of family photos and any remaining pix of my Dad’s cars. We had the blue over white version with the Thunderbird 312. My father spoke about that car until the day he died, he loved that thing. Northeast Ohio winters made it a pile of ferrous oxide before my second birthday.

One recent find I didnt shoot was a Honda Del Sol parked roadside for sale in quite good condition Aaron Severenson will shoot me he asked on facebook recently for shots of one. Leaving home without a camera a definite sin

The most interesting discovery this last year was probably the ’65 Mercury Park Lane Marauder that ended up at my favorite scrapyard. Bucket seats, floor shift, white interior, power windows, the works.

Terminally rusty but complete: a car I never knew existed. Pics of it are on my Vehicular Homicide board (Pinterest – click on the Skybird, then my name to back out of “My Car Collection” board and onto the VH board).

In Wisconsin, I think I can count on two hands how many Ford Tempos/Mercury Topaz are still on the road. They use to be EVERYWHERE. Same for the Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance.

I almost bought an ’87 Tempo back when I was 17 to replace my ’85 Omni and finally rid myself of the Omni’s incessant carburetor issues. I can’t remember if it was a GLX or something, but it was dark grey and had an appearance package with a five-speed stick and air and a tape deck. I was in heaven. Dad overruled me, and since Burger King was giving me barely enough cash to put gas in the Omni so I wouldn’t have to take the school bus, that was that.

I also came that close to picking up a ’94 Tempo in ’95, fresh off the rental lot. Man, it was loaded with an automatic, air, cruise, tilt, and power windows and door locks! What was wrong with me? Luckily this time I waited and picked up a ’95 Contour in ’96, which served me well for 122,000 miles.

A friend had a stripper ’93 Shadow America coupe. Didn’t even have a radio, just a huge airbag for a steering wheel and the 2.2 with the five speed. That was a fun car to beat around in.

There’s GOT to be a back story on that Chrysler 300 Hurst edition. Obviously been neglected – probably a long-time owner that just doesn’t have the funds to do a good restoration, and can’t let it go to someone who can.

As to the Marlin – I thought it looked 100% better once it got the later stacked-headlight Ambassador front end on it.

As an admitted Mopar fanatic, that 1965 Monaco 500 was all kinds of awesome for me. Just a real beaut! As for the others, was a fan of the 2-door version of the first and second generation Colt from Mitsubishi. And, having owned several Chrysler 300s, definitely like that rare, not-yet-restored Hurst 300. Although I paid little to no attention to Renaults back in the day, I’m always kind of a sucker for rare cars, such as the Medallion. As for the GMC motorhome, I’ve liked the looks of those things ever since they were new. And their style style looks relatively contemporary. Then, talk about a super-rare car, a 1968 Charger with a six! I knew they supposedly made some, but don’t think I’ve ever seen one. Probably any gearhead who found a good price on a used one just yanked the motor and dropped in a 383 or a 440. When they first came out, didn’t pay much attention to the Taurus. But, when the 1992-5 second generation came out, I definitely liked them in SHO form. Have rarely ever seen a first gen SHO. As for the AMC Marlin, I kinda liked them back in the day. Remember seeing some locally on the road back in the 1960s and 1970s, but very few ever since.

I have to add that if only I cared a camera with me, or if a had a cell-phone with a camera, I could have added some photos. Saw a white, 1967 Dodge Polara 2-door in fair condition at a gas station, which a young guy was driving and intending to fix up. Saw an almost immaculate (from a distance) 1979 Pinto at a small used car lot in my home town for awhile. Seems inexcusable that I didn’t get any shots of it, but then I work 60 hours a week. Many others I probably wouldn’t have tried to shoot while driving, such as a brown, 1974 Comet 4-door sedan which I’ve seen more than once. It appears original and in quite good shape for it’s age. Also, have seen an original, unrestored 1964 Dodge Dart in fair condition being driven around town.

That ’57 Ford is a Fairlane 500, not a Fairlane (the side trim is the giveaway). Both sedans and hardtops were available in Fairlane and Fairlane 500 form. Both Fairlane series were built on a 118-inch wheelbase and were longer-lower-wider than the ’57 Chevs, which is one reason they sold better than the smaller and seemingly ‘outdated’ Chevrolets. The lower-priced, sedan-only ’57 Ford Custom and Custom 300 series were built on a 116-inch wheelbase and were close to the Chevy in size. The Ford pictured has the F-O-R-D hood lettering of the Custom/Custom 300 series instead of the ‘Fairlane’ script that should be there.